Greenhouse Gases
Astellas does not handle or sell any product that uses hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) as a filler agent.
Containers and Packaging Recycling
The products manufactured and marketed by the Company are administered to patients through medical institutions. After their use, packaging materials are disposed of by hospitals, pharmacies, and general households. The waste discarded by general households is mainly comprised of blister (plastic) packaging used for tablets and capsules. Hospitals and pharmacies discard blister packaging as well as various types of plastics including bottles and tubes, metals, glass materials used in injectable solutions products, and such paper items as individual packaging and cardboard boxes.
In the case of pharmaceutical packaging, certain functions remain essential to ensure the safe storage of products as well as compliance with the provisions stipulated under the Pharmaceutical and Medical Device Act of Japan and the laws and regulations of respective countries. In addition to these functions and requirements, Astellas selects environmentally friendly materials for use in its packaging while engaging in a variety of initiatives including the labeling of materials to promote recycling at the time of disposal.
One initiative is to start using blister sheet biomass plastic made from plant-derived raw material. Blister packaging is eco-friendly packaging using 50% of raw materials from sugarcane-derived polyethylene, a biomass plastic. Blister packaging is required to have a high level of tablet protection and usability, and by using a packaging technology developed over many years, it meets these requirements and can be mass-produced. In fiscal 2021 Astellas started using blister packaging made from plant-derived raw materials for some products in Japan.
To encourage the recycling of containers and packaging for household use in Japan, in accordance with the Containers and Packaging Recycling Law (which mandates the sorted collection of containers and packaging, and promotes their reuse in commercial products) sellers of products are responsible for defraying the costs of recycling of such waste products. The estimated total amount of plastic and paper containers and packaging used in Astellas products in fiscal 2022 is 350 tons
, and the Company was requested to pay ¥13.07 million in recycling costs.
Disclosing Information on Plastic Recycling Volume
Astellas uses plastics in various products, recognizes that handling plastic waste generated in its business activities is an environmental issue, and endeavors to recycle plastic resources. In Japan, a law was enforced in April 2022 to promote the recycling of resources related to plastic. The amount of plastic waste generated in Japan in fiscal 2022 was 244 tons. Astellas is working to limit the amount of plastic waste it generates within Japan to under 250 tons in such ways as by limiting the use of plastic resources and improving recycling rates.
